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A dishwasher works by pumping water into the tub, cleaning the dishes with a mixture of water and detergent, rinsing the dishes and pumping the water out again through a drain hose. Many drain hoses are made of corrugated plastic tubing. When the hose becomes damaged it can leak, and you must install a new one before your floor and cabinets are damaged by the leaking water. A new drain hose is inexpensive to install but requires accessing the bottom of the dishwasher.

1

Disconnect your dishwasher from the electricity. The dishwasher operates on a separate kitchen circuit. You can turn the circuit breaker off inside your main panel box or check beneath your sink to see if you can unplug it from the wall. The installer might have attached an appliance cord to the dishwasher rather than hard-wiring it in an electrical box.

2

Turn off the water to the dishwasher. You can find the supply valve beneath the kitchen sink; turning the valve handle clockwise turns off the water.

3

Find the dishwasher drain hose connection beneath the sink. It could attach to the garbage disposal, the sink drain pipe or an air gap. An air gap is a small cylindrical fixture that prevents the back flow of dirty water into the dishwasher; it sits on the countertop behind the sink and has a small vent and a pipe that extends beneath the counter. Loosen the screw on the hose clamp that holds the drain line to one of these locations. Slide the drain line off its connector. Set the hose clamp to the side.

4

Look beneath the front door for the screws holding the service panel to the bottom front of the dishwasher. Remove the screws to release the panel and set the service panel aside.

5

Place an old towel or rag underneath the water supply line where it connects to the dishwasher. Use a pair of pliers or an adjustable wrench to loosen the compression connector on the supply line and pull it from the dishwasher.

6

Hold a noncontact voltage sensor next to the dishwasher's electrical junction box, which connects to the bottom of the dishwasher. An electrical warning label on its cover identifies the wiring location. A noncontact voltage sensor is slightly larger than a ballpoint pen; when held next to anything connected to electricity, it will flash an alert if it senses an electrical current. If the electricity has been correctly disconnected, the sensor will not react.

7

Remove the screws from the dishwasher's electrical box cover. Take off the cover to expose the wiring. Note how the wires connect.

8

Twist the wire connectors counterclockwise to release them from the wires. Pull the wires apart. If the bare copper wire secures to the dishwasher box with a green screw, loosen the screw to release the wire. The electrical wires are held in the dishwasher electrical box by a strain relief connector; its body is hidden behind the electrical box, but two screws tighten the connector around the wires so they are not accidentally pulled from the box. The threaded end of the strain relief connector, along with the wires, inserts through the box. A locknut twisted on the threads secures the strain relief connector and the wires in the box. Use pliers to turn the locknut counterclockwise and remove it from the strain relief connector threads. This will release the electrical wires from the dishwasher.

9

Turn the leveling feet at the front of the dishwasher clockwise to raise them. Lay an old sheet on the ground in front of the dishwasher to protect the floor as you and an assistant slide the dishwasher from between the cabinets.

10

Lay the dishwasher on its back. Look beneath the dishwasher for the place where the drain hose connects to the water pump. Loosen the hose clamp screw to release the drain hose from the water pump. Remove the hose clamp and discard the damaged drain hose.

11

Slide a hose clamp on one end of the replacement drain hose. Slide the drain hose onto the water pump. Tighten the screw to secure the new hose.

12

Return the dishwasher to the upright position. Reinstall your built-in dishwasher by reversing the steps you used to uninstall it.

About the Author

Cecilia Harsch has been writing professionally since 2009. She writes mainly home improvement, health and travel articles for various online publications. She has several years of experience in the home-improvement industry, focusing on gardening, and a background in group exercise instruction. Harsch received her Certified Nurses Assistant license in 2004. She attended Tarrant County College and studied English composition.